Metro Pulse/Urban Renewal

121 W. Jackson

3,000 sq. ft. commercial space

Contact Paul or Marsha Trausch

688-6400 for info.

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by Matt Edens

The shocking rumors are apparently true. They—you know, them—they're opening a Starbucks downtown. In the Hilton. I haven't seen 'em, but there are supposedly sketches of it in the lobby. Assuming the sketches haven't been doused in Jack Daniel's and set on fire in an act of civil disobedience by now. As you probably expect, the pending arrival of Starbucks has produced the usual response from the usual suspects. One wag on Metro Pulse's MetroBlab message board, scoring points for alliteration if not originality, referred to Starbucks patrons as: "Suburban SUV Sheep, ever last one of 'em..."

I have to say I'm a little puzzled by the lamentation of yet another victory by the Philistines who want to "commercialize" downtown. Seems some folks are overlooking a central point of our city's central business district—the business part. If you ask me commercialism and plain, old-fashioned commerce is the one thing our downtown is sadly lacking.

Which is unfortunate since there's really no separating cities from commerce. The modern city and modern commercial capitalism share the same common root—the rebirth of cities in the Middle Ages, and the two have grown hand in hand ever since. London, Paris, Venice—all were great commercial and financial centers. Same goes for New York, New Orleans, or even Knoxville. This city is here largely because a number of enterprising entrepreneurs had the foresight to capitalize, literally, on Knoxville's unique advantages of transportation, resources, and location.

These days, while most of their compatriots are busy capitalizing their way to the county line, there are still a few entrepreneurs around downtown Knoxville. From loft developers Dave Dewhirst, Leigh Birch and Wayne Blasius to culinary icons like Mahasti Vafaie, these folks are in the business of making downtown Knoxville a better place. And luckily, their ranks seem to be growing. There's Andie Ray, who's hopefully weeks away from opening Vagabondia, a clothing and accessories store on Market Square. Or Peg Hambright, another local culinary legend who has just moved Magpies, her custom bakery, to Jackson Avenue.

And then there are Scott and Bernadette West. Since they opened Earth to Old City in 1993, the store has expanded to locations in Farragut and Gatlinburg (A chain? How dare they?). And if that weren't enough, they've made a big dent in downtown's bar-business too as part owners of the Preservation Pub and the recently opened ThInQ Tank. Still not impressed? Well, they're also currently renovating a big chunk of Market Square's retail space, investing something to the tune of $1.3 million and adding their own private condo, 10 rental apartments and several retail spaces—including a new home for Earth to Old City—to the rapidly revamping Square. All in all, it's an impressive track record, one that has prompted more of those usual comments from the usual suspects. To which I say, so frickin' what? If bitching in our beer was the key to downtown Knoxville's revitalization, we'd be done already (besides, if it weren't for the Wests, we'd have two less beer-joints to bellyache in).

So how 'bout it? What say you become part of the solution, rather than perennially pointing out the problems? The fact that the Wests are heading two blocks west gives someone the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor—literally. The former home of Earth to Old City is up for grabs. What are you waiting for? Turn in your notice, dust off that business plan and do it.

Oh, and rumor has it, the Testerman Group is looking at turning the parking lot next door into a parking garage.

Damn developers, always up to something...